Only the Beginning
by slightlytookish
Summary: Night after night Morgana hears him calling for Merlin, his roars angry enough to shake the very foundations of the castle. No one else hears him; no one else feels the stones rattling in the walls. No one, except for her. SPOILERS for the entire series.


**Notes: This takes place immediately after Episode 1x13, so spoilers for the entire series. Many thanks to thedoingofit for the beta.**

Night after night she hears him calling for Merlin, his roars angry enough to shake the very foundations of the castle. No one else hears him; no one else feels the stones rattling in the walls. No one, except for her.

Then there is silence for many days, a silence that unsettles her more than his earlier ravings.

Then he begins calling for her.

"Morgana," he says, his voice calmer than she has ever heard it, and no louder than a whisper. "Morgana."

She follows the voice down the dozens of steps, far below the castle. When she finally reaches the bottom the dragon is perched on his rock, waiting for her, and she is unafraid.

"You know who I am," she says curiously.

"I know who you are, and what you can do," the dragon replies. "You will achieve great things. With your gift of foresight you can protect your friends." Here he pauses and shifts on the rock, looking at her steadily. "And vanquish your enemies."

Morgana arches an eyebrow. "Enemies? Are you expecting a battle?"

The dragon's eyes crinkle at the corners and he appears to smile. "An enemy may appear in the guise of a friend," he says. "And the greatest threat to Camelot comes from within, not from without."

"I have foreseen nothing of this," Morgana says, feeling uncertain for the first time. Her dreams have never afforded her glimpses of the sort of political intrigue that the dragon is hinting at. "If you know of such a person, tell me his name and I will see that he is brought to justice."

"And how will you do that, young seer?"

"I'll go to the king, and–" Morgana's voice breaks off when she sees the swift change in the dragon's expression. His eyes narrow, his nostrils flare, and he looks utterly resentful. He looks _hungry_.

Her own eyes widen in surprise. "You don't – you don't believe that the king is the threat?" she asks. "You think it's Uther?"

The dragon inclines his head, his expression carefully blank once more, and says nothing. He flicks his tail lazily against the rocks, watching her intently, and Morgana is the first to look away.

Their relationship has been strained – more than strained, considering that she had plotted against him – but ever since Uther expressed regret for executing Gwen's father, and after Arthur was wounded by the questing beast, Morgana has noticed a change in the king. He is milder, and more willing to listen to the counsel of his son and his ward. And even at her most vengeful, Morgana never truly doubted Uther's love for Camelot and his desire to keep its people safe.

"Until magic returns to the realm, you and your kind will never be safe," the dragon says, interrupting her thoughts.

"My kind?" Morgana shakes her head in disbelief. "Are you telling me that there are others? That there are other people like me in Camelot?"

The dragon hesitates unexpectedly. "There is one," he says at last. "His power is great, but he will not fulfill his destiny until the threat is removed and magic returns to Camelot."

_Merlin_, she thinks wildly, _it's Merlin, it must be him_. This would explain everything: all the strange occurrences, the improbable destruction of the griffin and the Black Knight and the questing beast, Arthur's miraculous recovery from a wound meant to be fatal. It would explain the dragon's constant calling for Merlin.

Morgana feels light-headed, drunk with knowledge and with power, and with betrayal too – all this time her dreams have been dismissed by Merlin and by Gaius, and she has been so afraid to tell anyone else, even Gwen, of her suspicions that these were not ordinary nightmares. All this time she could have had someone to talk to, a friend who understood her at last.

Her mind is racing but there is no time to think about any of this now because the dragon is speaking again.

"You must open your mind to your dreams," he says. "Fear them no longer. Listen to them. They will tell you what you must do." He shifts on the rocks again, beating his great wings, and flies out of sight.

Morgana remains in the cave for some time, trying to sort out her confused thoughts. When she finally leaves, it's not to her bed that she returns.

She has to find Merlin.


End file.
